Fishing lure



P 1953 A. R. BRADLEY- 2,653,408

' FISHING LURE Filed Feb. 4, 1952 INVEN TOR. AURA 51940? BY I I i %%M kArrows 5x5 Patented Sept. 29, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FISHINGLURE Aura R. Bradley, Berea, Ohio Application February 4, 1952, SerialNo. 269,790

3 Claims. 1

The present invention relates tothe general art of fishing lures.

In a general way, the object of my present invention is to provide alure that affords an increased attraction for the fish; that issubstantially snag-proof and weed-proof; that will lessen the danger oftangling or twisting of the line while in use; and that can bemanufactured and sold at a reasonable price.

More specifically, one object of my present invention is to devise alure that comprises an improved combination of inner and outer elementsthat are freely mounted in true balance for independent, individualrotation about the same longitudinal axis and that are so constructedand arranged as to rotate in opposite directions so as to thereby createa heightened attraction for the fish.

Another more specific object is to devise a lure that comprises thecombination of a propeller form of member mounted for rotation about thelongitudinal axis, and an outer closed loop form of screw member that ismounted for rotation in the opposite direction about the same axis andthat is adapted to encompass the propeller member during actualoperation of the device so as to afford the further advantage ofrendering the lure practically snag-proof and weedproof in addition tothe heightened luring effect.

Another more specific object is to devise such a lure which is soweighted with respect to the longitudinal axis of the same that it mayutilize the force of gravity in holding the longitudinal shaft of thelure against rotation, thereby providing a further means of lesseningthe danger of twisting or tangling of the line while in use.

ther objects will appear from the following description and claims whenconsidered together with the accompanying drawing.

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of my improved lure;

Fig. 2 is another elevational View of the same at ninety degrees to theview in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 33 of Fig. 1.

It is to be understood that the present form of disclosure is merely forillustration and that there might be devised various modificationsthereof without departing from the spirit of my present invention asherein set forth and claimed.

Referring now in detail to the accompanying drawing, the substantiallyrigid shaft I is connected at its forward end to a conventional swivel 2which in turn is connected to the line 3; and the shaft i, which isformed of wire, is provided at its rear end with the disengageable loop4 for removable attachment of the hooks 5, according to the presentillustration. Upon the forward end of shaft I there is fixedly mountedthe imitation fish head 5 by extending the end portion of the shafttherethrough, bending it back downwardly through the lower part of thefish head 6 and then securing the shaft end to the shaft as for instanceby soldering. The fish head 6 is so mounted that the greater part of itsweight and that of the bent wire through the fish head 5 are off-centreso as to utilize the force of gravity in further preventing shaft I fromturning about its longitudinal axis. The off-centre weight of the fishhead 8 and its mounting means will supplement the swivel 2 in preventingrotation of shaft 1. The artificial fish head 6 or at least its outersurface may be of a luminous character so as to prove even more alluringto the fish.

The member 1 is freely rotatable upon the shaft i and may consist of acontinuously integral closed loop of metal of suitable width and taperedtowards the forward end thereof, such tapered or inclined portions beingtwisted into substantially screw form, as indicated by reference numeralla, so as to cause the same to rotate about the shaft I when trolled orretrieved in the water. Member i may be made from light metal tubing asa matter of convenience. The maximum width or transverse measurement ofloop member I is, in the present illustration, at a point just rearwardof the middle thereof, and its rear end is of a smooth or continuouscurvature so that the general form of this element 1, in the specificillustration here shown, may be considered to resemble somewhat that ofa pear. At the point that might be regarded as the point of tangency atthe rear end of the member 1, it is adapted to have bearing engagementagainst a spherical bead 8 which is threaded diametrically for rotationupon shaft I, this bead being adapted for engagement at itsdiametrically opposite point with the forward end of the looped portion4. With this arrangement, which serves virtually as a ball bearing, anyfrictional resistance to the rotation of member 1 is reduced to aminimum. There is sufficient clearance between the shaft I and theopenings in the ends of the member 7 to permit freedom of rotationthereof upon the shaft I. Also, as indicated in the accompanyingillustration (Fig. 1), the screw member 1 is of ymmetrical formlongitudinally and is mounted in a symmetrical manner upon the shaft Iso as to contribute to the freedom of rotative movement and also tobalance the screw member 1 thereupon; and there will be providedsufficient clearance between the forward or smaller end of the screwmember 1 and the imitation fish head 6 so as to preclude any frictionalresistance at this point to the rotation of the member l as the lure istrolled or retrieved through the water. In order to heighten stillfurther the effective manner in which the member 1 may be rotated aboutthe shaft I as the lure is moved through the water, I have made thematerial of thi member of slightly decreasing width from the forward endtoward the rear end thereof, as indicated in Fig. 2 of the presentdrawing.

Rotatably mounted upon the shaft I there the propeller-like element [9that is formed so as to rotate in a direction opposite to that of themember "i when the lure is trolled or retrieved through the water. Anabutment H is formed upon the shaft 1 by means of solder or in any othersuitable manner at a point slightly forward of the rear end of themember '8 when contacting the bead 3, and a suitable number of sphericalbeads 12 are threaded diametrically so as to be rotatably free upon theshaft 'i just forward of the abutment ii So as to provide a virtual ballbearing for the propeller iii, allowing proper clearance of thepropeller i within the screw member 1 for free rotation upon the shaftI. With this arrangement there will be no interference between themembers I and it in their individual rotations in opposite directionsupon the same shaft I. Also, the element in is of such relative lengthas to allow proper clearance between its ends and the side portions ofthe screw member 2; and the maximum width of the blade of the propellermember it may be substantially the same as or slightly greater than thatof the material of which the screw member is formed.

Thus my present lure consists of a screw form of outer member i and apropeller form of member mounted therewithin so as to be encompassedthereby, that is within the path described by the screw member a duringactual operation of the lure; these two members i and is being soconstructed and arranged that they will rotate in opposite directionsupon the same shaft i as the lure is trolled or retrieved in the water.Such combined action may be produced without either of these tworotatable elements interfering with the rotation of the other; but,rather, there is obtained a balanced combined action that is calculatedto resemble the appearance of a small fish moving in the water. Such arealistic illusion has proved to be decidedly successful in luring allfresh water game fish as for instance bass, northern pike, wall-eyes,crappies and even small pan fish. The form and rotation of the members iand It in opposite directions will produce an effective disturbance ofthe water and also effective reflection of light from the highlyreflecting surfaces of these members so as to serve as an efficientlure.

The outer member "i, as it rotates, will also serve to protect the innermember If} and also the hook or hooks 5 and will thus render this lurepractically snag-proof and weed-proof.

As may be observed, my present lure permits ready interchangeability ofhooks, making possible the use also of rubber skirts, buck tails,feathers or even worms, and minnows.

My screw member 1 does not have any fins or the like projectingtherefrom, as have been provided in some prior devices of the spoon orspinner type, and thus my screw member is free of any such resistance toits rotation. The edges of the screw member I will cut through the waterand there will be obtained a greater rapidity of rotative movement ofthe same and correspondingly greater disturbance of the water. Also,since my form of screw member 1 reduces the resistance to its rotation,it requires less force to propel the same through the water and hencecan be retrieved more easily and more rapidly and with less wear uponthe line and reel. This device is capable of being used for casting,trolling or still fishing with the advantages above "noted and othersthat will suggest themselves to those who are skilled in the art towhich this invention relates.

What I claim is:

1. .A fishing lure comprising a rigid shaft adapted ,to have a fishingline secured to one end thereof and a fish hook secured to the other endthereof, said shaft having rotatably mounted thereon two spinners, oneof said spinners comprising a continuous band of sheet material having across sectional configuration of substantially pear-shape and havingaligned openings in opposite parts thereof for rotatably mounting thesaid one spinner on said shaft, said one spinner having its smaller endlocated forwardly and its forward end portions on opposite sides of saidshaft having twists in the nature of a screw means, the longitudinalaxes of said portions being at an acute angle to each other, said onespinner at its rear end defining substantially half the curve of anellipse and being symmetrically arranged on opposite sides of saidshaft, the other spinner being slidably mounted on said shaft andlocated within said first spinner and in normal use having itslongitudinal axis substantially in line with the ends of the ellipticalportion of said one spinner and being so formed that when said otherspinner is in the latter location it is adapted to rotate in theopposite direction to that of said first spinner.

2. The same structure as recited in claim 1 hereof and in which theforward end portion of said first spinner constitutes a stop for saidother spinner in the event that said other spinner moves to a positionwithin the forward end portion of said first spinner.

3. In a device of the class described, a spinner comprising a continuousendless band of sheet material having a cross sectional configuration ofsubstantially pear-shape and having aligned openings in opposite partsthereof for rotatably mounting the same upon a shaft with the smallerend thereof located forwardly, said spinner at its forward end havingtwists upon opposite sides of its longitudinal axis in the nature of ascrew means, the longitudinal axes of said ends having the twists beingat an acute angle to each other, said spinner at its rear end definingsubstantially half the curve of an ellipse and said half curve beingsymmetrically arranged upon opposite sides of the longitudinal axis ofsaid spinner.

AURA R. BRADLEY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 323,111 Chapman July 28, 1885 576,680 Kittle Feb. 9, 1897839,917 Chapman Jan. 1, 1907 2,191,244 Wise Feb. 20, 1940 2,266,234Mitchell Dec. 16, 1941 2,482,648 Brandt Sept. 20, 1949 2,507,098Fischler May 9, 1950

